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  • Georgia must honor rights of ethnic minorities

    Lragir, Armenia
    Nov 24 2006

    GEORGIA MUST HONOR RIGHTS OF ETHNIC MINORITIES

    On November 25 the situation in Georgia three years after the Rose
    Revolution was discussed at the Friday Club, namely the problems of
    the ethnic minorities. The reason was the report of the International
    Crisis Group released three days ago. The guests were Levon Zurabyan,
    an expert of the International Crisis Group, Stepan Margaryan,
    adviser to the Prime Minister of Armenia, and Sergey Minasyan, head
    of the Department of Caucasian Studies of the Caucasian Media
    Institute.

    According to the ICG, in Georgia, which is building democratic
    institutions and forging civic identity, there is little progress
    towards integration of the Armenian and Georgian minorities
    constituting 12 percent of the population. Levon Zurabyan adds,
    `Georgia lacks a mechanism of dialogue with eithnic minorities. The
    ethnic minorities, communities are ostracized from the life of the
    country. Georgia seeks for the help of Armenia to solve the problem
    of Javakheti. The problem is given a short-term solution, whereas in
    depth it remains unsettled. The ICG deliberately omitted the social
    and economic problems, because the equal political rights of all the
    citizens of the country is primary. It is desirable to settle these
    problems on the Tbilisi-Javakheti level.' Meanwhile, there are three
    groups of obstacles for the settlement of the problem: the ethnic
    minorities are underrepresented in government, decentralization is
    unsufficient, and there is not even cultural and educational
    sovereignty, and the ethnic minorities do not speak Georgian.


    The other guests agreed. Stepan Margaryan said `it is impossible to
    learn Georgian in an environment where Georgian is not used. The
    teachers of Georgian arrive in Javakheti with Armenians constituting
    95 percent of the population, and soon they leave having learned
    Armenian. Georgia does not trust Armenia, Javakheti does not trust
    Georgia. Javakheti suffers from the Russian and Georgian relations.
    An annual 30 thousand job migrants left for Russia, now Russia does
    not grant a visa to these people. There is going to be a third party
    in the Georgian and Armenian relations. It would be desirable if
    there was a third party, with which we are trying to integrate.'


    Sergey Minasyan views the question in terms of European integration
    and notices that Georgia, which is on the track for European
    integration, should adopt the European standards of honoring the
    rights of the ethnic minorities. `Javakheti and Georgia should settle
    the issue. Armenia and Europe can be interested parties.' Stepan
    Minasyan thinks that unlike the issue of Karabakh, there is vast
    possibility for a compromise, it is only necessary to overcome fear
    and prejudices and discuss the question without fear, `the report of
    the ICG can be used as an argument in the negotiations with Georgia.'


    The ICG recommends to `introduce legislation allowing Azeris and
    Armenians, in municipalities where they exceed 20 per cent of the
    population, to use their native language to communicate with
    administrative authorities, submit complaints, acquire civil
    documents and certificates, benefit from public services and conduct
    municipal business and sakrebulo meetings'; `set quotas so that at
    least 50 per cent of new entrants in the Akhalkalaki branch of the
    Tbilisi State University and the Marneuli branch of the Ilya
    Chavchavadze State University are minorities.' In Armenia they
    believe that thereby the problem of learning Georgian will be solved
    for young people. Meanwhile, fewer young people go to this university
    because they have a language problem. By the way, the Armenian
    government is ready to support the Akhalkalaki branch of Tbilisi
    State University.
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